Already having fun in Hyderabad!!!

As I'm writing this, Matt and I are playing with Rau's granddaughter Kaavya, who is visiting him from Baltimore along with her mother and brother... We're having fun! She's beating us in cards, but as older brothers with little sisters, we know that there's something fishy going on :) But it's a good time! We've been welcomed here with open arms, and have enjoyed the warm hospitality!

This morning was our earliest yet, getting up at 5am to shower, pack, check-out, eat a quick breakfast, and catch our taxi to the airport! We got there about two hours ahead of time right about 2 hours ahead of time, which turned out to be a little sooner than we needed too... because although the Indian security was different than we were used to, we got through in about half an hour, check-in included! So we took our time, picked up some coffee (passing up KFC, Piza Hut, and McDonalds... ugh) and sat down in front of a tv that was showing the Lakers-Celtics game! Live!!! :)

The kingfisher flight was very impressive, not only was the airplane nearly brand new, but the service was also fantastic! It was only a 2 hr flight Delhi to Hyderabad, but they still served us breakfast! (which if you've been counting was breakfast number three already...)

The Hyderabad airport is very nice! A great improvement from the last one! We did have to catch a bus into the city though, that was kind of the pitts, but it was worth it... When we got to the Keys High School stop, Rau was there waiting for us! He took us directly to a resturant, not that we needed to eat any more haha, but in any case, we did!

Along with my Thumbs Up (FINALLY!!!) we had a traditional dish from the Hyderabad area, Biryani, it was fantastic! I am going to learn how to make it! Then we went back to the house to rest before taking a visit to Sister Theresa Marie at the Tender Loving Care Home...

This was a very meaningful experience for me... talking to her, she was very glad to hear about meghana, and very excited that I remembered to bring pictures of the whole family! She is a proud mother, has scrapbooks of all the children that have gone through the orphanage. But keep her and the children in her prayers, because although she celebrated getting many children out to Indian and European homes, with 28 children living at the orphanage, 17 are matched with parents and have been waiting for years to go the the United States, waiting on the government to give them the ok... it is very sad, but she is working hard at it!

I've been thinking a lot about home lately... mostly because it took me by surprise how much at home I felt coming back to India... it was definitely a sort of homecoming... I thought back on the phrase "home is where the heart is..." and I realized that one thing I've been blessed with is many homes... not only is my heart in Hesston, but with those I love in northern Indiana, India, and now in places like the Netherlands and Germany too... So many places, and I think I genuinely feel at home everywhere...

Then as I was doing my devotions, I was thinking about how that applies to my spiritual life... if my heart is with the word of God in Christ Jesus, than is it enough to say that my heart is there? I don't think so... It must show in my actions... but how? How do I do that as I, with a full stomach and plenty of Rupees in my pocket, ignore the tiny hands tapping at the window while stopped in city traffic? It's a hard subject to think about, a whole lot for a 16 hr day... I guess more on this later.

Tomorrow Padma, Doc's nephew, will be picking us up and showing us around Hyderabad! Looking forward to it... would appreciate the prayers!

Goodnight all, it's way past my bedtime :)

Blessings,
John